Chase the Sound of the Sumki Horn
by Naylaena
Summary: The Nations begin to fall into peace, while Katara finds war within her. Decisions and consequences are tied to our destiny, but can we decide what it is? Katara made a mistake - a mistake that might be her own destiny...Zutara...Future Lemon...R&R...
1. It Began to Rain

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender – it is the property of Nickelodeon. The only thing to which I have any rights is the original plot, narration, and story that I create with the characters of the show.

::One::

…...It Began to Rain...

They had saved the world when it teetered on the brink, but they still had to sleep on rocks and dirt. For Toph, this was preferable, but for everyone else, it just left aches and cramps that even Katara's bending couldn't entirely get rid of.

"Can't we find some nice inn for once?" Sokka complained. He lazily rolled up his sleeping bag with a large yawn. Appa yawned louder and longer, getting up on his thick legs after shaking his white fur free of dirt.

"You know we don't have any money for that, Sokka." Katara's voice came from the saddle atop Appa where she was securing their supplies.

"And why don't we have any money! People should be showering us with gifts and kindness and meat! We saved the world, and we haven't gotten anything from it!" Sokka groaned. In a matter of seconds he was kicked into the air with the punch of an earth pillar.

"All I've heard from you is complaints since we dropped Suki off." Toph then pointed at Katara, shouting, "I told you we shoulda left the two lovebirds!" Katara nimbly slipped off Appa, graciously rubbing his side once she was on the ground.

"If we did, Suki wouldn't be able to train the new Kyoshi warriors." Katara said. Sokka dragged himself up off the ground, dusting himself off indignantly. He adjusted his ponytail and smoothed out his shirt. At first, he looked smugly at Katara and Toph. It quickly melted as he fell to his knees.

"I miss my Suki!" He cried, sobbing audibly. Katara rolled her eyes and continued loading supplies onto Appa with Toph's help. Over Sokka's sobs they heard the chattering of a lemur. Looking overhead, Katara watched as Momo and Aang began to descend from their scavenging trip. At the sight of Aang, though, Katara began to closely inspect the supplies.

Aang folded his staff and whirled the air to cushion his landing. Momo then perched himself on Aang's shoulder, feasting on a juicy mango that he had found.

"What's wrong with Sokka?" Aang asked. He quirked an eyebrow at the broken teen.

"Guess, Twinkletoes." Toph said. She walked over to Appa and clumsily climbed into the saddle. Aang's face softened and he gave a gentle smile.

"You'll see Suki again soon, Sokka." He tried to reassure Sokka, but the young man's antics continued. The airbender reached into his bag and pulled out some ripe fruits he had found.

"I found some food." Aang said. Three milliseconds later, Sokka's eyes were dry and he was stuffing his face with the fruit. The other three laughed.

"I guess the way to a man's heart really is through his stomach." Toph said. Katara smirked, replying, "I'm pretty sure Sokka's heart IS his stomach." Aang smiled, jumping gracefully onto Appa's back. The bison gave a low groan in reply. Aang smiled widely at Katara, handing her a shiny pear-apple. The waterbender gave a weak smile back, taking the fruit and beginning to munch on it absentmindedly. Aang attempted to ignore the distant actions of Katara as he gave the other fruits to Toph.

"Ready?" Aang asked, twirling in the air and landing at the reigns of his bison. Sokka climbed into the saddle, face sticky with fruit juices. The scraps and bits that Sokka had dropped on the ground were quickly snatched and nibbled on by Momo before Appa took a powerful leap into the sky. Soon they were soaring among the clouds of the Southern Earth Kingdom, bound for Ba Sing Se once more.

"So what now?" Toph asked as she picked clumps of rock and dirt from between her toes.

"Now we go see the Earth King and help rebuild the wall and outer villages. Now that Zuko's ordered the retreat of all Fire Nation soldiers, we need to help transition everyone back to peace." Aang replied, throwing his voice over his shoulder.

"Aww. But we just finished going to the Fire Nation!" Sokka whined. Katara tensed a bit, staring out into the clouds that streamed by fluidly. Momo walked up to her, turning his head and gazing at her with his large, green eyes. Katara smiled and gave the lemur a piece of her pear-apple.

"Is it just gonna be politics and babysitting from here on in?" Toph asked. "Cause this whole world supervising thing is b-o-r-i-n-g."

"Would you rather the entire Earth Kingdom be burnt to the ground?" Sokka retorted. Toph shrugged off the concept lightly, adding "No. But peace isn't very exciting after you've gone and fought off an entire army." At this, no one could really reply. Aang always wanted peace and nonviolence, but he had thought that once peace had settled he and Katara could...could just be happy. Be happy together. But the world had decided that his job as the Avatar wasn't over yet.

Katara opened her canteen, bending the water from it. Her agile fingers twisted and swayed, causing the water to fluidly shape and reshape itself. She watched it flow, calming herself while watching its naturally graceful movements. She froze it into a sculpture of Bosco, the Earth King's bear, and then melted it to continue bending it into ambiguous shapes.

"Is something bothering you, Katara?" Aang said, floating over to the saddle. Katara lost control of the water. It flew and splashed Sokka in the face.

"Aahh!" He shouted, trying to wipe the water from his eyes.

"Sorry!" Katara apologized quickly. She bent the water back into her canteen and closed it. She looked to Aang and was met with concerned silk eyes.

"I'm fine, Aang." Katara answered shortly with a subdued voice. Aang simply sat there for a moment, studying his love.

"Are you sure?" He asked, voice cracking a bit, giving away his youth.

"Yes, Aang...I...I'm just a little tired, that's all." Katara said while massaging a strand of her chocolate hair. For the moment, Aang accepted that answer. He placed a hand on her shoulder tenderly.

"You should get some rest, Katara. It'll be a long trip." Aang said. Before he could even lean in to kiss her, Katara nodded and laid down, moving one of the sleeping bags over to pillow her head. Sokka, Toph, and Aang exchanged glances over Katara's weird behavior.

The waterbender found herself lethargically falling asleep. The whooshing cool air and the general silence of the brilliant day were all seducing her into sleep. Like a cat, she curled her body tightly, relishing in the heat of the sun on her almond skin.

Once her breathing steadied and she seemed to be asleep, Aang shifted over to Toph and Sokka.

"Is she sick or something?" Aang asked. Sokka shook his head.

"I don't think so."

"Yeah, if she was sick, I'd be able to tell. She's working fine." Toph added. She wiggled her toes pleasantly before focusing on the hushed discussion.

"Maybe she really is just tired, Aang." Sokka suggested. The airbender nodded but didn't buy it. He knew there was something bothering his beautiful waterbender!

"Or maybe she's lovesick like Sokka." Toph smirked. Unbeknownst to her, Aang gave Toph a serious glare at such notion.

"She's not lovesick." Aang said; it wasn't a suggestion – it was a statement. Deciding that talking with his friends wasn't helping at all, Aang returned to his position by the reigns of his bison.

"I was just kidding." Toph said, stunned by the reaction she had gotten. She always joked with everyone, especially Twinkletoes. She didn't deserve to get such a snarky remark! Toph huffed and went back to picking her toes. Sokka, however, looked long and hard at his baby sister. He was wondering if maybe, while Toph had been kidding...that she was actually right.

Hours passed, and the sunlight began to disappear behind large mountain ranges. Appa was flying at a much slower pace, though still keeping his flight constant. Aang awoke from his nap, Sokka at the helm with Momo. For the most part, Appa didn't need any directing. Still, it was good to have someone watching. Katara had been sleeping for a while now, leaving Toph to try and entertain herself by her own devices.

A small noise came from Katara. Toph listened and Aang looked at her. Again, she made a noise; it sounded like she was in pain. Her face was contorted as though she was losing a dual. Worried about her, Aang gently touched her shoulder and whispered her name. Katara groaned louder, and then woke up. Her moonshine eyes saw the airbender looking down at her. She blushed violently and sat up. She cleared her throat.

"Umm...sorry...I-I guess I fell asleep longer than I...umm..." Katara cleared her throat again. She ran her hand through her long locks. Realizing how messy her hair was, she retrieved her brush from her things and begin undoing the knots her hair had tied themselves into.

"It's okay, Katara. I was just afraid you were having a nightmare." Aang said. Katara cleared her throat again, focusing on the hair brushing and not much else. Aang smiled and leaned in, kissing her flushed cheek. Katara's core froze for a moment. It didn't thaw until Aang took his traditional position at the reigns and Sokka crawled back into the saddle.

"So, what'd you have a nightmare about?" Sokka asked. "Did a bat monkey get caught in your hair or something?" He mocked. Katara stuck her tongue out at her brother and continued to brush her hair.

"Guys! We're here!" Aang shouted. Toph merely waited until they were on sweet, solid ground again. Sokka and Katara, however, leaned over the saddle to see the enormous Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se sprawled out beneath them. Though the sun was nearly set, they could make out scores of earth benders building up and repairing the outer wall. Aang shouted down to them, laughing and waving enthusiastically. He could hear the incoherent greetings of the benders below and saw them wave back.

"Can we just land soon? Please? Not seeing sucks." Toph commented from the back. Everyone smiled, and Momo chirped as they descended into the city. Ba Sing Se had a new vibe since the Dai Li had disintegrated and the Earth King truly ruled the city. The wall, while being rebuilt, had new entrances for visitors; buildings previously reserved for refugees were now housing all people moving into the city; the farm lands were being populated with more greenery, and earthbending schools were popping up like crazy.

Appa gratefully landed in one of the main streets of the city. Children poured from restaurants and homes, cheering the bison. Appa greeted them playfully, gently licking the faces of those who brought him hay to eat. Toph jumped down from the bison, rolling in the dirt and cobblestone street with delight. She filled her nose with dirt and sighed with satisfaction. "Nothing beats earth." She said blissfully.

"It's nice to see you again, Avatar Aang." Aang turned to one of the managers of the stable Appa stayed at. Aang bowed respectfully to the gentleman and allowed him to lead the bison away (with many of the children en route). The four friends then began to walk to their Earth Kingdom sanctuary – the Jasmine Dragon in the Upper Ring of the city.

"Do you think Iroh will be surprised to see us?" Aang asked.

"Probably not...he always seems to know what's going on." Toph mused. Sokka's stomach growled loudly.

"I just hope he has dinner ready..." Sokka said. When the tea shop was in sight, Sokka began to jog with the promise of a hot meal. They could all ready hear the sumki horn playing gently in the evening air. The shop was brightly lit by many paper lanterns, candles, and lamps. It was as though daylight had never left the tea shop. Only a few customers were sitting, sipping on their tea and chatting. When they noticed the Avatar and his companions enter, they all bowed their heads respectfully. Aang did the same before normalcy settled in the shop.

"Iroh!" Sokka called. They couldn't quite tell where the music was coming from. Then, the door to the kitchen slid open revealing the rotund and amiable Iroh.

"Aha! The Avatar and his friends! Please, sit, sit. I had heard you arrived in the city earlier." The four sat down. Shortly, Iroh came out with a tea set and dinner plates. Sokka was nearly salivating from the smell of food coming from the kitchen.

"Thank you, Iroh." Aang said. Iroh gave a wide smile.

"Please, call me Uncle Iroh! It makes me feel more included." He laughed gently before disappearing into the back kitchen again. Katara drank her silver needle tea deeply. The hot liquid fell to her stomach, gently washing away the tension in her muscles. Aang and Toph sipped their tea, enjoying the subtle but distinct flavor of the white tea. Sokka nearly exploded when Iroh finally returned with four heaping bowls of noodles, rice, and steamed vegetables. Sokka ate vigorously, almost spewing edible debris everywhere.

"Does he always eat like that?" Iroh asked.

"Always." Katara, Aang, and Toph replied in unison. Iroh rubbed his full white beard, studying Sokka for a little bit.

"You know, Sokka, if you keep eating like that you'll start looking like me." Iroh put his hands on his girth. Sokka paused, coughing on a noodle that had caught and slipped in his throat. The table laughed heartily before continuing to eat dinner. As all the other customers left, Iroh began to close up shop.

"Uncle Iroh, who is playing the sumki horn?" Toph asked after draining her cup of tea.

"That would be my nephew." Iroh replied. Katara coughed. She choked a bit on the white rice. She gulped down her tea to drown the grains and swallow. Everyone looked at Katara for a moment. She tried to gather herself and think quickly.

"W-what I surprise. We were just in the Fire Nation a week ago." Katara said weakly. The suspicion wore off and everyone began to finish eating in order to go greet their friend. As everyone finished, Toph, Aang, and Sokka began to go upstairs to see Zuko.

"Katara, aren't you coming?" Aang asked. She looked at him briefly before noticing the hoards of dirty plates and tea sets.

"I think I'll help Uncle Iroh clean up first." Katara said. She began to collect the dirty pots and cups, placing them beside the sink in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Iroh subtly kept an eye on the waterbender.

"You know," Iroh began, "there used to be these beautiful birds in the Fire Nation. When they flew, it looked as though a million fireflies were dancing. Unlike many creatures in this world, these birds only had one mate for life. The oddest thing, though – when one of the birds fell in love, it would often lose its beauty. Without its pretty feathers, it wouldn't try to impress its intended mate. It would end up with another bird, unable to ever get its beautiful plumage back. I wonder if the bird had tried to impress its love, if it would have won its mate." Iroh finished and began to hum while hand washing the used plates and cups. Katara simply stood there, dumbfounded and frozen by one of Iroh's philosophical anecdotes. She noticed that the sumki horn had stopped playing upstairs.

Katara took one stair. Then a second step. However, she froze when she heard Zuko laugh softly with the others. A chill ran down her center, and she walked back down the stairs and left the tea shop.

Outside, only the stars and a few lamps lit the way. She could barely see after leaving the brightness of the tea shop. Still, she walked on. She impulsively needed to walk away from where he was.

Katara bit her lip. She felt her emotions flowing to the brim. Soon, she would overflow. She walked towards the sound of rushing water; the sound of her element comforted her. It reminded her that she was not alone, just as the moon did. She stood on a stone bridge that spanned the small river. She sighed. She needed to calm herself. Contain herself. But, when she looked at her reflection in the silver shimmering river, she couldn't stand the site. Katara angrily bent the water where her reflection had been, pulling it up and whipping the tendril of water out like a whip. It cut down a branch of a nearby tree before falling back into the river. Katara felt tears well in her eyes, and this time she wasn't sure if she could stop them.

"Katara?"

Katara inhaled sharply. She turned from the voice and wiped her tears onto her arm. She didn't know if she could do this right now. She could hear him coming closer.

"Uncle said you might be here."

Mentally, Katara cursed the wise old firebender. He was equal parts helpful and meddlesome. She felt a warm hand touch her shoulder. She flinched and whipped around.

"Listen, Zuko, I-" She was cut off by lips. Zuko kissed Katara gently, holding the kiss for a few seconds passed forever. She...she needed to stop it. She couldn't. She was warmed by the kiss, but her spirit froze everytime. She broke the kiss and stared hard into Zuko's amber eyes.

"Zuko – we can't do this...I can't do this." She felt her emotions were going to overflow again. Zuko's face changed from hurt to frustrated. He punched the bridge wall before leaning against it, staring at the river below.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a screw-up." He growled. Katara softened and placed a hand on him.

"Zuko, you're not a screw-up. You're just...complicated." She said. He cracked a smirk at that.

"Complicated, huh?" His smirk faded as he looked longer at his reflection.

"I know it's been hard on you since you broke up with Mai..." Katara trailed off. Was she one to bring personal things up? Did she have a right?

"I guess you're not complicated at all," Zuko mused, "You're just all picture perfect. A waterbending master who gets to travel the world and be adored by the Avatar. Sounds like the life to me." At this, Katara's brows furrowed. She stabbed Zuko with her finger, angrily staring at him.

"Don't you ever – EVER – think that my life is perfect. Cause it's not. It's..." Katara's voice faded and she turned her back on Zuko. "...it's not like I thought it would be..." Zuko ruffled his obsidian hair and sighed. He didn't know what to do.

"Want to pretend nothing happened?" He offered pathetically. Katara just sighed and gave a small nod. The heavens suddenly grew dark, and raindrops began to fall. Zuko squinted up at the sky. A bolt of lightning shot down in the sky, a boom of thunder following after. Soon, though, he didn't have to squint. He turned to Katara, who was bending the rain to hover above their heads like a shield. They gave one another a small smile.

"I guess we better head back." Zuko offered.

"And when we do, I want to see you play the sumki horn." Katara smiled. The Fire Lord groaned in embarassment.

"Oh, c'mon. Do I have to?" He asked. He received the Katara 'I'll-eat-your-soul-face'.

"Okay, okay! One song!" Zuko said. They ran into the Jasmine dragon just as the rain started to pound the earth. It washed away the memories of their footprints. However, the earth did not forget that they had walked upon it.

* * *

Author's Note: This is chapter one to set up the story. There will likely be three to five chapters in this story. Lemons to come in the future. Reviews appreciated! ^_^


	2. When the Sky was Burning

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender – it is the property of Nickelodeon. The only thing to which I have any rights is the original plot, narration, and story that I create with the characters of the show.

::Two::

…...When the Sky was Burning...

The morning had come, and with it the sun. Downstairs, the chatter of tea and conversation echoed. Katara shifted in her bed, trying to hold off awaking. She squinted as red sunshine splashed her face. Groaning, the waterbender got up. The sky was still dark with clouds. Distant thunder rolled. The rain fell gently now. Oddly, breaks in the black clouds brought with it bright red sunlight. It looked as though the sky was burning.

Katara sighed. She wanted to pretend nothing had happened. Could she? For Aang's sake? For her own sanity's sake?

_"How much longer is this gonna take?" Toph said. She was growing bored. She twirled two rocks around with her bending to pass the time waiting in the extravagant hall of the Fire Nation Palace. _

_"I don't know, Toph; things like this don't exactly fix themselves." Katara answered. She was beginning to be frustrated by Toph's impatience. She continuously had to remind herself that Toph was the youngest there to keep herself from freezing the small earthbender. _

_"Ugh..." Toph groaned. She stood up, stretching and cracking her stiff limbs. "In that case, I'm going for a walk." She left. Katara was silently thankful that she was now alone. She didn't have to hear Toph whine, or deal with the sickening puppy love between Suki and Sokka since they had gone to speak with the Fire Nation generals._

_Katara had to admit, though, that it was boring. She was just sitting there, waiting for Aang. A slight panic had overtaken her since the day Ozai's bending was taken from him. Now that Aang had saved the world, now that he had fulfilled his destiny...was there anything she had left to do to help him? She felt like she was now just a useless token of times gone by. She wanted to actually do something with her life other than following the Avatar wherever he went. _

_The hall echoed as a door was opened. Katara stood up. She locked away her thoughts and put on a smile._

The door to her room opened. Katara turned to see Toph walk in, munching on a cake of some sort.

"I see you've finally gotten up from your beauty sleep." The earthbender chimed between bites. She leaped onto her bed, relaxing into it. "Aang and Sokka went to go see the Earth King. So we're just left here to rot in our boredom." Toph put the rest of the cake in her mouth, licking the bits left off of her fingers.

"What about Zuko?" Katara asked, keeping her voice level. She repeated '_Remember – nothing happened.' _in her mind.

"What about 'im? He's helping his Uncle with the tea downstairs."

"Shouldn't he be going to see the Earth King, too? He is the Fire Lord now." Katara said. She was surprised and a bit frustrated that Zuko wouldn't do something important like that.

"How'm I supposed to know?" Toph shrugged. Katara looked outside vacantly. The sky was now black again, the rain coming down harder. The tea house reverberated with the tiny pangs and pings of the rain.

Toph groaned as she stretched again. "I'm gonna get fat and lazy if we keep this whole sitting around and waiting routine."

Katara needed to stop thinking. Just for a few minutes. Toph's complaint gave her an idea. She smiled and stood up, putting her hands on her hips.

"Well, then let's stop sitting around!" Katara said brightly.

_"You just sitting around?" Fire Lord Zuko said, finding the Avatar's girl standing at the end of the great hall. Katara smiled gently at her friend. _

_"Oh!" She said, and clumsily bowed. She blushed. Zuko bowed too, but gave a low chuckle._

_"It's okay. You know you guys don't have to do that." _

_"But you're the Fire Lord now! It's just weird trying to remember to do that to someone who tried to capture us a hundred times." Katara smirked playfully. Zuko's face grew long, and he slapped himself._

_"Will you ever let me live that down?" He asked. Katara laughed a bit, replying a short, "Nope." She looked around for her airbender, but did not find him. Noticing that she was looking for Aang, Zuko spoke. "Aang said that he needed to speak to Avatar Roku. I believe he's visiting the Fire Temple." _

_"Oh." Katara said. She smiled. Inwardly, she hoped Aang was doing all right. She knew how much the world asked of him, and how much diplomacy drained him. Righting one hundred years of wrong doing was taking a lot of cleanup. _

_Zuko scratched his head. He was unsure of what to do. The two friends averted their gaze, trying to figure out how to end the awkwardness._

_"Umm...the, uh, the sunset is really nice in the Fire Nation." Katara offered. She looked outside, and walked towards the balcony set to the side of the hall. _

_"Yes. I missed it." Zuko mused, following her. The awkwardness had ended, replaced by a content silence. _

_"It looks almost like the sky is on fire." Katara said. It was simply beautiful. The sun's rays poured over the sides of the volcano's crags, shimmering and lighting up the city like a jewel. It was something she had never seen in the South Pole._

_"What's the sunset like in the South Pole?" Zuko asked._

_"Zuko, you've been to the South Pole." Katara chided. The Fire Lord blushed meekly in embarrassment. _

_"At the time I wasn't really paying attention to stuff like the sunset...or anything other than the Avatar, really..." Zuko trailed off. The memory of how he was sickened him. He had wasted too much of his life looking for honor that he could have had all the time. Katara placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder, wishing she hadn't brought such a thing up. _

_"Well," Katara begin, "it's kind of slow. Almost as though the sun were floating on the water. As it sets, it looks like a thousand candles are floating on the sea. The ice shines like diamonds, and the sea and sky almost look like they're one. My Mother..." Katara sighed and touched the necklace she wore, "...she said that when the sun set, it was whispering sweet messages to the ocean so that its lover, the moon, would be able to hear them as it rose..."_ _A calm washed over the waterbender and firebender. _

_"That's nice..." Zuko said softly. He noticed that Katara still had her hand on his shoulder. He gave a little cough and looked away from her. Katara realized that she had extended herself a bit too far. She withdrew her hand and turned from the Fire Lord. She leaned on the railing, soaking up the sight of the golden buildings radiating like miniature suns._

_"My Mother...she told me that a long time ago, before humans had learned how to bend the elements, the sun was the only thing that could light the sky. There was no moon spirit, and no stars. At night, everything was pure darkness. The sun grew lonely at night when it was away from the earth. That's when it decided to disappear from the sky and go to the spirit world. For one day, the whole world was plunged into darkness. That's when the future firebenders learned how to create fire from the dragons...and when the earthbenders learned to move the earth from the blind badgermoles...and the airbenders found a way to move the air like the bison. When the sun returned, the sky was filled with stars and the moon. That's when waterbenders found a way to move the sea. Then the sun wasn't lonely anymore, and the earth was filled with happiness and peace..." Zuko finished the story. _

_Katara smiled. "That's beautiful." She said. The two smiled and went back inside the palace when the sun had disappeared beyond the crag. _

The earth was slick with mud. Toph and Katara bowed deeply to one another before turning and walking to separate ends of the field located in the outskirt of Ba Sing Se. The rain fell with abandon.

"Ready?" Katara asked. She fluidly brought up water from the stream behind her. The water clung to her arms, roiling and swimming about her limbs as though an extension of Katara's body.

"Readier than you, puddle bender." Toph smirked. She took a strong stance. The mud sloshed about her foot. She could feel Katara's body on the ground, and every raindrop that hit the earth.

Katara moved first. Her agile body moved quickly through the wet earth. She bent the water from her left arm onto the ground. It congealed with the mud. With a flick of her wrist and a twist of her body, Katara formed an ice board. She landed on it squarely, sliding quickly towards Toph. The earth bender smiled. She moved to the side and kicked her heel to the ground, pushing a spike to block Katara's way.

Katara flipped over the spike, leaving her board to shatter. As she fell, Toph through projectiles of rock upwards at random. Katara avoided them and sent spikes of ice down at the ground. Toph stumbled back as one hit her arm, and she quickly brought the mud up to stop the incoming shards. Once Katara was back on the ground, Toph shifted the mud from under Katara. The water bender fell with a thud, but quickly rolled and froze the layer of water in the mud into ice under Toph.

"Can't see too well now, huh?" Katara said confidently. Toph smirked.

"No, but I can still hear pretty good." At this, Katara's eyes widened. From behind her, two boulders were closing in fast. She melted the ice around her and formed a slide that she used with the finesse of an Olympian snowboarder. The boulders smashed the end of her slide behind her, shaking her off and back on her feet on the ground. She was breathing heavy, but was empowered by the water that fell around her. She felt alive.

_"Fire Lord Zuko," a servant addressed with a bow, "your tea is ready. May I assume you are bringing your guest?" The servant nodded to Katara. _

_"Yes. Please be sure it is set for two." Zuko said with a regal tone. The servant bowed again, leaving the hall with lesser servants in tow. _

_"What about the others?" Katara asked. Zuko looked around._

_"Well...where are they?" He asked. At this, Katara couldn't really answer. Other than Aang, she didn't know where the others were. Zuko shrugged._

_"It's not like they don't know where the tea room is." He noticed that Katara had an odd expression on her face. "...unless you want me to send for them?" He asked. Katara shook her head after pulling out of a mindless daydream. Zuko nodded and they proceeded to the tea room._

_Katara looked around at the sheer wealth of the palace around her. Everywhere was marble or polished volcanic rock, detailed with precious gold. It seemed that not a speck of dust or grime had ever, or would ever, be found there._

_"You actually grew up here, Zuko?" Katara said, unable to hold her awe._

_"Yeah. Not much fun for a kid, actually. A lot of 'can't touch this' or 'don't climb that' rules." As Katara chuckled at the idea of little Zuko being disciplined for trying to climb one of the massive pillars, they arrived at the quaint but equally impressive tea room. Servants bowed and served as Katara and Zuko knelt before the table. Once their cups were full and a small plate of food was placed, the servants vanished._

_"I have to say, I could kind of get used to that service." Katara said. She drank the tea graciously. Zuko looked around suspiciously before sighing. He took off his royal robe and hung the expensive fabric over a chair._

_"I finally get to get out of that get-up. Seriously, why hasn't any Fire Lord objected to wearing that stuff?" Zuko said. He knelt back down in his maroon and gold robe. He sipped at the tea __thoughtfully._

The raindrops accumulated around Katara until her arms were again engulfed in water. She bent the other rainwater into another slide as she quickly moved for Toph. The earth bender stomped the earth once and twisted her leg, shifting her position closer to Katara. When she kicked out her foot and thrust her arm in the air, three earthen spires shattered the slide Katara was on.

Katara thought quickly. She used water to propel herself forward, and she made a whip fly forth. It connected with Toph, sending the young girl flying backwards. She landed in the muck with a squishy thud. Katara landed on the ground and raised her arms, arcing the water in the stream and sending it cascading over Toph. But when the water receded, Toph was gone.

Katara scanned the area quickly. Suddenly the earth beneath her opened up and swallowed her to her knees. Toph then emerged from the mud behind her, laughing maniacally.

"Ha-ha-ha! No one stands a chance against the greatest earth bender in the world!" In spite of Katara's efforts, she was irrevocably stuck.

_As the tea drained and no others showed up, Zuko noticed something in the room that hadn't changed. His face altered and his expression darkened. Katara knew immediately that something was wrong. She glanced around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. As a servant came back, Zuko began shouting._

_"What is that?" He yelled, pointing at a canvas painting of himself and Mai. The servant began to apologize repeatedly and bow even lower._

_"Whatever; I just want it out of my sight." Zuko huffed, and the painting was carted off quickly. Katara fidgeted where she knelt, feeling out of place and out of touch. Conversation wasn't able to resume while Zuko was still letting off steam. He seethed silently until the pot was drained of tea._

_"So..." Katara began weakly, "...I, uh...I mean...I guess you and Mai aren't..."_

_"No. We're not." Zuko growled. He stood up and took the royal ornament from his head. His obsidian hair fell clumsily and he shook it until it was ragged and spiky._

_"May I ask...what happened?"_

_"I don't wanna talk about it." Zuko snapped. For a moment, he sounded like the Zuko from the year before. Katara frowned, but didn't press the matter. She didn't know what to do since Zuko had now distanced himself from anything. His amber eyes were not looking out; his mind was only speaking within. Katara felt lost and useless. _

_"Well...thanks for the tea...but I guess I should go make sure Toph hasn't wrecked anything in the palace." Katara smiled. Zuko nodded sullenly._

Toph was still laughing. Katara gave up on rescuing her legs, and instead viciously whipped the water around her at Toph's legs. Toph was knocked over, breaking her balance and concentration. Using the water as a lubricant, Katara was able to shimmy herself up. Before she could get to her feet, earth slammed her in the stomach and shot her into the air. She fell back limply.

Coughing and gasping for breath, she got back up just in time to avoid more earthen projectiles. As the projectiles kept coming, Katara froze the falling rain and used the balls of ice to break the momentum of the rocks. She again bent water from the stream and sent a massive wave at Toph, but the earthbender rooted herself to the ground and had formed a suit of rock around herself.

"Give it up, Katara. Nothin' beats earth."

"In your dreams, pebbles." Katara retorted. She lunged at Toph and sliced the suit with a lash of icy water.

_Unable to find Toph, Katara decided she should take up Zuko's offer on using the servants of the palace to locate her friends. However, she had to find the Fire Lord first. Navigating the labyrinth of halls and corridors left Katara confused and frustrated. Soon, though, she thought she heard Zuko and the crackling of fire._

_"Zuko?" Katara called. She jogged towards the sound until she found his master chamber. Beneath the door she could see flashes of bright yellow and red light. She opened the door tentatively._

_"Zuko?" She called out again. His room was lit by the multitude of fire; paintings, curtains, and even the canopy over the bed were all singed and lit with embers. In the middle of the room, Zuko soaked in his anger and sadness. His eyes were irritated and breathing shallow._

_"Zuko!" Katara ran over to Zuko. She tried to get him to look her in the eyes, but he hid beneath his mop of black hair. As she took his shoulders, she could feel how tense his muscles were. He was wound like a bomb about to explode._

_"Zuko, you need to stop right now. You could burn this whole place down if you can't control yourself! Please, Zuko. Talk to me. Let me help you." Katara was pleading with all the sincerity in her heart. Finally, Zuko unclenched his fists. The fire about the room weakened, leaving only smoldering embers to light the room. He then looked into Katara's eyes and felt as though they were able to wash away his rage. Katara smiled. _

_Katara could smell the warmth emanating from him; his scent was like fresh wood and tiger lilies. His muscles relaxed beneath her hands, but she tensed as she found herself caught in his golden gaze. She could feel his warm breath tease her cheek. It filled her nose. She was frozen. _

Toph lost the upper half of her suit to the water whip. As Katara landed, though, she slipped on the mud. Toph smiled. She tore the rocks off her legs and used them to pin the water bender to the earth – handcuffs on her wrists, and rock chains on her ankles. Toph walked over to Katara as she struggled and pointed at her.

"Looks like you lose, Katara." Toph said. Katara sighed and closed her eyes, filling the rain soak into her bones. She thought to herself, 'It looks like it...doesn't it?'


	3. Where Does the Fire End

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender – it is the property of Nickelodeon. The only thing to which I have any rights is the original plot, narration, and story that I create with the characters of the show.

..:Three::.

…...Where Does the Fire End...

...A Flashback Continued...

(Lemon Warning)

_"Zuko..." Katara said softly. She couldn't move._

_All the fires in the room extinguished, leaving behind a slight smell of singed fabric. Yet all Zuko could smell was Katara. She was like a well of spring water, with the smell of a lotus and pine infused throughout. Her breath tickled his senses, invigorating the fire burning in his core. His eyes finally resurfaced from hers and began to scan her. Her skin seemed so soft, like the most divine silk he had ever seen. And her lips..._

_He leaned in. Katara couldn't speak. Zuko pressed his lips against hers. Katara was shocked. She felt her spine nearly transform into ice. Yet, as Zuko kissed her harder, the ice within her began to melt little by little. When she felt his hands rest on her hips, her mind shouted at her to take action. She broke away from Zuko, taking a few steps back._

_"I..." Katara didn't know how to react. When Zuko quickly grabbed her and kissed her again, she knew even less. He pulled her close to him. She was pressed against his hard chest and could feel it rise and fall against hers. His arms held her to him with a grip that was as though he feared losing her. His hot breath on her face made her lose connection with rational. He tasted her lips, massaging them and sucking on them to savor each taste. Finally, Katara submitted to his hungry kiss. Zuko held her tighter, exploring her mouth vigorously. He nibbled and sucked on her lips and had his tongue dance with hers. Her fresh scent was clouding his mind and feeding his fire._

_When Zuko broke the kiss, they looked at each other in silence. They were closer to each other now than ever before. Katara couldn't help but look at his scar, which intensified his vibrant gaze._

_"Katara...you said you wanted to help me. Please – help me." Zuko said. His voice was low and honest. Katara could still feel Zuko inside her mouth, and she could still smell him inside her nose. Her lungs were filled with Zuko. It was as though he had bent fire inside of her._

_Zuko kissed her again. Except this time, Katara closed her eyes and didn't fight off the boiling within. He didn't just want her lips; he wanted to taste more. He began to kiss her cheek, amazed by its softness. His lips trailed to her jaw where he nipped lightly at her neck. Katara bit her lip as he nibbled on her skin again. She felt the fire building within her as his breath waltzed in her ear and his tongue began to massage her collar._

_Zuko's hunger wasn't being satiated. Katara gasped as his hands slipped to the sash behind her and undid it. Before she could think or protest, Zuko kissed her passionately once more. He pushed Katara back with him until he pinned her against the wall. He broke the kiss and in a swooping motion pulled off her azure shirt. Katara's face flushed brightly. She wasn't sure what to do, but the fire within her was slowly demolishing any resistance to Zuko._

_Zuko pressed against Katara and kissed her again. He was forceful and driven by desire. When __he heard Katara moan, all of his energy seemed to convulse with lust. His lips again tasted her dark skin, working their way to the valley of her breasts. Katara moaned louder. His breath and his lips...she moaned again as his tongue massaged her skin. _

_Zuko put his leg between Katara's, pushing her up higher on the wall. Katara shivered as pleasure flowed through her body. She suddenly grabbed Zuko's hair with her fist, and yanked his head up to kiss her once more. Katara now acted the part of a fire bender. She broke the kiss and nibbled on Zuko's earlobe, leaving him worked up. He pushed his leg harder into Katara. She stopped nibbling and mewled loudly into his ear._

_As Zuko again began tasting and relishing in Katara's neck, she fiddled with Zuko's robe. Realizing what she was trying to do, Zuko quickly undid his ties and threw his shirt to the floor. Katara let her hands flow over his chest, eying the toned muscles and alabaster skin. When her hands hovered over the scar on his chest, the two looked gently at the other. She remembered him – jumping in front of lightning – to save her. She remembered the joy when he woke up..._

_Zuko cradled Katara and quickly went over to his bed. He dropped her onto the sheets and straddled her. He kissed her again and went to undo the bindings of her white undergarment. Katara's face was burning. Her heart was racing. She could feel sweat beading on her forehead. She shivered, but this time in anxiety. Zuko felt her shiver and paused. The lust that had overtaken him was momentarily conquered by concern. He stopped fiddling with her clothing and looked down at Katara._

_"Katara...I..." He felt guilt wash over him. His heart was beating and he could feel his arousal pushing him onward, but the guilt and concern was greater. "Are you okay?" He asked softly. In this short lapse of time, he began to consider the consequences of what he'd done. The consequences vanished from his thoughts when he felt Katara gently kiss his cheek._

_"I'm fine, Zuko...I'm just...nervous..." She finished honestly, blushing and beginning to play with a strand of her brown hair. Zuko smiled. He took her hand and placed it on his scar. He remembered, waking up to a world he thought he had left, and seeing her face...and her eyes...watching over him and bringing life back into him again._

_"I won't let anything bad happen to you." Zuko said. His words meant more than just what was spoken. Katara's heart felt them and embraced them. She slid her hand up his chest and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him down on top of her to kiss once more. Zuko began to fidget with her garment again, and finally took it off._

_Katara instinctively shielded her bare chest. She was unable to look at Zuko in the face. Zuko tenderly kissed Katara, hovering over her. He whispered softly in her ear, "It's okay, I swear." Katara gently lowered her arms. Zuko observed Katara for a moment, allowing himself to realize her beauty. _

_He looked Katara in her eyes. "Katara, you're...beautiful..." He bent down and kissed her. Tentatively, he took her left breast in his hand. Katara gasped. He massaged it, astounded at how perky Katara was. He began to massage her other breast at the same time, nibbling on her jaw as he did so. Katara could do nothing except moan. She arced her back as Zuko pressed on her breasts harder, and then began to tease her rosy nipple with his fingers. It hurt, yet simultaneously set off a sparkler of pleasure._

_Zuko moved his hands from her breasts to her stomach, feeling the strength in her core and the __smoothness of her skin. He traced her curves back up to her face and went to kiss her, but Katara __forced his head down to her chest. He chuckled inwardly a bit at the sudden forcefulness Katara had. He didn't mind; in fact, it turned him on even more. He began to suck on her nipple, licking and nipping it while he massaged her breast with his mouth. Katara moaned louder, bringing Zuko to the brink. He took off his pants and briefs._

_Katara looked long and apprehensively at Zuko. She had never seen a naked man, and the sight of Zuko's hard manhood filled her with fear as well as excitement. Zuko blushed as well, but kept his expression relatively the same. Katara glanced at Zuko for reassurance before she gently reached out and wrapped her hand around his shaft._

_Feeling Katara's skin on him...Zuko was in bliss. Katara began to rub her hand up and down, soon realizing that Zuko was enjoying it just as much as she enjoyed his massages. She moved her hand quicker and to a set rhythm, gaining confidence when Zuko gave a low moan. He placed a hand on Katara's head, combing her locks fondly. He gritted his teeth as he teetered on the edge. _

_"Katara, I'm going to..." He lost the word and moaned again. Katara quirked an eyebrow and looked up at the Fire Lord._

_"Going to what?" She asked. That's when Zuko came. Katara hid a surprised yelp as semen shot onto her hand, her arm, and the bedsheets. Zuko smiled, invigorated by the pleasure. Then, Katara giggled. A part of Zuko's manly honor curled up into the fetal position._

_"Why're you laughing?" He demanded. Katara's giggle grew louder, and she tried to gather herself._

_"I just – I just – I just -" Katara continued to giggle, unable to speak. Finally, she breathed slowly and got a hold of herself. "I just didn't expect that to happen! It was a lot different than what I was told." Katara finished and began to giggle again. Zuko couldn't help but smile. Katara's giggle was contagious. He began to laugh lightly too, amused by the reaction Katara had. He leaned forward, pushing Katara back onto the bed._

_"I think it's time you stopped giggling." Zuko said deeply. He kissed her fiercely, massaging her mouth hotly. He forcefully massaged her breast, eliciting a moan from Katara that was muffled by their kiss. That's when a knock came from Zuko's door._

_"Fire Lord Zuko, the Avatar and his friends have returned." A servant spoke through the door. Katara and Zuko looked at one another with fear. All the world and its consequences came crashing down upon them. Zuko leaped from the bed, grabbing and tossing Katara's shirt to her. He slid his shirt on, and shouted through the door, "Bring me my robe." The servant bowed and left to the tea room to get his robe._

_Katara finished putting on her bindings and slipped her shirt on, tying the sash. She stood up from the bed, face flushed with desire and eyes filled with worry. Zuko looked at her, still enraptured by her beauty. Katara was fixing her hair, reattaching the loops and smoothing out the loose ends._

_"You really are beautiful, Katara." Zuko said. Katara blushed, but found she couldn't look or speak to him. All that her mind would replay was the horror that would ensue if Aang or Sokka found out about this..._

* * *

**Author's Note:** This concludes the flashbacks! ^_^ I do hope everyone is enjoying this fic - it may be longer than I originally intended! I very much appreciate everyone's feedback and reviews!


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